Watercolour Seascape Royal Navy HMS Watchman Destroyer On Patrol By Moonlight

1 Fine British Work of Art Watercolour Marine Seascape Painting Royal Navy HMS Watchman Destroyer Ship On Patrol By Moonlight.

Subject marine portrait dide profile view of the British Royal Navy HMS Watchman on patrol in relatively choppy seas at night by moonlight. In the background on either side you can see distant coastline in sight. Overcast moonlight to the sky above.

Watercolour on paper set with a front protective glass cover.

Signed in the bottom corner by the British artist H.B.Close.

Set in original frame.

Circa late 20th century.

Reference sources Wikipedia, Navalhistory.net.

HMS Watchman was a W-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy that saw service in the final months of World War I, in the Russian Civil War, and in World War II. Construction and commissioning Watchman was ordered on 9 December 1916 and was laid down by John Brown & Company at Clydebank, Scotland on 17 January 1917. Launched on 2 December 1917, she was completed on 26 January 1918 and commissioned the same day. She was assigned the pennant number G23 in January 1918, it was changed to G09 in April 1918, and to D26 during the interwar period.

Service history World War II Upon completion, Watchman was assigned to the Grand Fleet, based at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, in which she served for the rest of World War I.

When the United Kingdom entered World War II in early September 1939, Watchman was assigned to contraband control duty with the 17th Destroyer Flotilla at Gibraltar. With the start of the war, she began convoy defence and patrol duties from Gibraltar, which she continued into 1940.

From 8 to 10 January 1940, she escorted Convoy HG 12 during the first leg of its voyage from Gibraltar to Liverpool, detaching to return to Gibraltar. Similarly, she and the destroyer Vortigern joined Convoy HG 22 on its voyage from Gibraltar to Liverpool on 12 March, and the two destroyers dropped depth charges on a submarine contact on 19 March; Watchman detached from HG 22 to return to Gibraltar on 20 March when relieved by the local escort in the Southwestern Approaches. She rendezvoused with Convoy OG 24F upon its formation in the Southwestern Approaches on 29 March 1940 and escorted it until its arrival at Gibraltar on 4 April 1940.

From 5 to 7 April 1940, she joined the sloops Bideford and Fowey of Convoy HG 25 during the first two days of its voyage from Gibraltar to the United Kingdom
On 12 June 1940, she attacked an Italian Royal Navy submarine – either Comandante Cappellini or Giuseppe Finzi sources differ – off Gibraltar and, although the submarine survived, the Royal Navy later assessed that Watchman had inflicted severe damage on her. After France surrendered to Germany on 22 June 1940, the Royal Navy feared that warships of the French Navy would fall into German hands, and Watchman was sent from Gibraltar to Casablanca, French Morocco, to keep an eye on the French battleship Jean Bart, with orders to shadow Jean Bart if she left port. Ordered out of port by the French naval commander on 23 June 1940, Watchman patrolled off Casablanca for the next several days to detect any movements by Jean Bart until relieved by Velox.

In January 1944, Watchman transferred to the Home Fleet to support and defend Arctic convoys during their voyage between the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union. In February 1944 she, the destroyer Wanderer, and the frigates Byron and Strule escorted the escort aircraft carrier Chaser as the ships steamed to join the escort of Convoy JW 57, with which they rendezvoused on 22 February 1944. Low on fuel, Watchman and the other destroyers in her group detached from JW 57 on 26 February 1944 and headed for the Faroe Islands but were caught in a force 12 gale and as she approached the fjord Watchman became entangled in the anti-submarine boom where she remained until the following day.

She soon returned to convoy escort duties in the North Atlantic, which she continued until May 1944.
In late June 1944, Watchman was assigned to the defence of coastal convoys and patrol duties in the English Channel. On 21 August 1944, she, the destroyer Forester, and the escort destroyer Melbreak drove off a German motor torpedo boat attack while escorting a convoy off Beachy Head. She was escorting the military convoy VWP 16 on 6 April 1945 when the German submarine U-1195 attacked it. Watchman counterattacked with her Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar, sinking U-1195 on 7 April at 50°33′17″N 000°56′09″W. U-1195 suffered 32 dead, but 14 of her crew survived.

After the surrender of Germany in early May 1945, the Royal Navy quickly decommissioned Watchman and placed her in reserve. Decommissioning and disposal Watchman was placed on the disposal list in June 1945. She was sold on 23 July 1945 to Thos. W. Ward for scrapping and by August 1945 was awaiting demolition. After the surrender of Japan on 15 August 1945, she was towed to Inverkeithing, Scotland, for scrapping.

Purchased from a private seller.

Highly sought after due to the collectible nature of the marine subject matter.

With hanging thread on the back ready for immediate home wall display.

Incredible conversation piece for your guests.

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Condition report.

Offered in fine used condition.

Front painting surface in excellent order. The frame is in good overall order having only some minor general wear and small chip to the corner commensurate with usage & age.

Dimensions in centimetres of the frame approximate

High (49cm)
Wide (41cm)
Depth thickness of frame (1.5cm)


Reserve: $1,016.00

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